Anti-Roma hate crime
OSCE participating States recognized the danger of ethnic hatred targeting Roma and Sinti as early as 1990. Anti-Roma rhetoric, including that focusing on "Gypsy criminality", can be perpetuated in the media and by political actors. EU enlargement, coupled with Roma marginalization, have led many Roma individuals and families to seek better conditions and opportunities elsewhere through migration, often encountering negative reactions in destination countries or areas. ODIHR's annual reporting on hate crime has presented a range of hate crimes targeting Roma. Assault, property damage and murder, involving the use of explosives, firearms or Molotov cocktails have featured in these reports. Among the particularly worrying incidents reported to ODIHR have been arson attacks against Roma homes.
States that report
Incidents were reported on these states
Overview of incidents reported by other sources
| Violent attacks against people | Threats/Harassment | Attacks against property | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 15 | 8 | 53 |
| Date | Country | Type of incident | Source | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Italy | Threats/Harassment | Association 21 July | Show info | |
| 2017 | Greece | Violent attacks against people | Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN), UNHCR | Show info | |
| 2017 | Ukraine | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR | Show info | |
| 2017-01 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-01 | North Macedonia | Attacks against property | Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Skopje, OSCE Mission to Skopje | Show info | |
| 2017-01 | North Macedonia | Attacks against property | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-01 | Italy | Violent attacks against people | Lunaria | Show info | |
| 2017-01 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-02 | Hungary | Violent attacks against people | Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Working Group Against Hate Crimes | Show info | |
| 2017-03 | Italy | Attacks against property | Lunaria | Show info | |
| 2017-03 | Italy | Attacks against property | Lunaria | Show info | |
| 2017-03 | Norway | Violent attacks against people | Norwegian Centre against Racism | Show info | |
| 2017-03 | Hungary | Threats/Harassment | Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Working Group Against Hate Crimes | Show info | |
| 2017-03 | Hungary | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR | Show info | |
| 2017-03 | Romania | Violent attacks against people | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | Ukraine | Threats/Harassment | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | France | Threats/Harassment | Observatory of Christianophobia | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | Bulgaria | Violent attacks against people | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-04 | Poland | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR | Show info | |
| 2017-05 | Croatia | Violent attacks against people | Croatian civil society coalition | Show info | |
| 2017-05 | Serbia | Violent attacks against people | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-05 | Ukraine | Violent attacks against people | UNHCR | Show info | |
| 2017-05 | Slovakia | Violent attacks against people | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-05 | Hungary | Violent attacks against people | Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Working Group Against Hate Crimes | Show info | |
| 2017-05 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-06 | Greece | Violent attacks against people | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-06 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-06 | Serbia | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Mission to Serbia | Show info | |
| 2017-06 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Mission to Bosnia And Herzegovina | Show info | |
| 2017-07 | Italy | Violent attacks against people | Association 21 July | Show info | |
| 2017-07 | Italy | Threats/Harassment | Association 21 July | Show info | |
| 2017-07 | North Macedonia | Violent attacks against people | Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Skopje, OSCE Mission to Skopje | Show info | |
| 2017-08 | Bulgaria | Violent attacks against people | European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) | Show info | |
| 2017-08 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-08 | Italy | Attacks against property | Association 21 July | Show info | |
| 2017-08 | Italy | Threats/Harassment | Association 21 July | Show info | |
| 2017-09 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Attacks against property | OSCE Mission to Bosnia And Herzegovina | Show info | |
| 2017-09 | Italy | Violent attacks against people | Association 21 July | Show info | |
| 2017-09 | France | Attacks against property | Observatory of Christianophobia | Show info | |
| 2017-10 | Austria | Threats/Harassment | ZARA | Show info | |
| 2017-10 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-10 | Italy | Attacks against property | Observatory on anti-Semitism | Show info | |
| 2017-11 | Czech Republic | Violent attacks against people | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-11 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-11 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-12 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-12 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-12 | Czech Republic | Threats/Harassment | In IUSTITIA | Show info | |
| 2017-12 | Serbia | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Mission to Serbia | Show info | |
| 2017-12 | Moldova | Violent attacks against people | OSCE Mission to Moldova | Show info |
International Reports
Croatia
In its fifth report on Croatia, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) observed that many cases of hate crime, especially those targeting Serbs, LGBT people and Roma, are only classified as misdemeanours. ECRI recommended that the bias motive be incorporated from the very beginning in investigations and training for police officers and judicial officials.
Moldova
In its "Fifth report on Moldova", the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance recommended that the authorities put in place a system to record hate crimes, collect and publish hate crime data, and ensure that hate crimes are effectively investigated. To these ends, ECRI recommended that the authorities increase its training efforts for police officers and justice officials, and implement confidence-building measures to enhance the relationship between the police and vulnerable groups, in particular, the Roma and the LGBT community.
Montenegro
In its "Concluding observations on the combined fourth to sixth periodic reports of Montenegro", the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) expressed concern at violence against Roma people and at the absence of updated and comprehensive disaggregated data on hate crimes. The Committee recommended that the authorities firmly counter acts of racist violence against any ethnic group, in particular Roma, and punish perpetrators with sanctions commensurate to their acts.
North Macedonia
In its "Resolution on the 2018 Commission Report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", the European Parliament urged the authorities to effectively address hate crime against minorities, in particular, the Roma and the LGBT communities, and to ensure the effective protection of affected communities and dissuasive sanctions for these hate crimes.
